‘Practice makes perfect’ is often the saying that we hear. Practice is indeed the only way to develop and improve (or playing in general which is anyway practice as well). The question of how long and when to practice is one of the most common questions that music teachers hear!

In my opinion, any practice is better than none. If you practice 5 minutes twice a week, you will still learn and improve. But naturally the more you play, the more you will learn. So, 15-20 minutes practice four times a week is better than 5 minutes twice a week. However, even here more is not always best: if you overdo it and over rehearse something, it might not be the best way forward. For example, playing the same sons for four hours in a row might not help you improve as after about 45 minutes, your ability to concentrate and for your muscle memory to develop is not going to be sharp any more and develop.

My advice to my students is always to aim for a 20 minute practice sessions 4-5 times a week. If the time is efficiently spent, much development can take place.

What are your thoughts on this and what kind of experiences do you have on practice habits?